Edith Bolling Wilson Birthplace Museum

145 East Main Street Wytheville

“…and so began my stewardship.”

Edith Bolling Wilson, First Lady to President Woodrow Wilson

These words were written by Edith Bolling Wilson in her autobiography, My Memoir, describing a time when when she was caregiver to the President when he suffered a stroke in 1919 leaving him partially paralyzed. While the First Lady publicly minimized her involvement in the affairs of state, her stewardship of government duties earned her such titles as “The First Woman President” and “The Secret President.”

….History, Heritage, and Romance

These three words describe the story inherent to the life of First Lady Mrs. Wilson. This is a story that embodies Heritage – a proud, prominent southwest Virginia family, direct descendants of Pocahontas; History – that of the 35th First Lady of the United States and her Bolling family; and Romance. There was a youthful “fascination,” a first marriage that was pivotal in Mrs. Wilson’s life helping her become a strong, independent woman; and the romance between a “lovesick” President and a forward-thinking widow.

The Edith Bolling Wilson Birthplace Museum is steward to the history and birthplace of this influential, popular, and politically significant woman of the twentieth century.